


see you again

by faerialchemist



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Katara Needs a Nap, Meet-Cute, Oneshot, Romance and friendship, Self-Indulgent, Tea shop AU, The Jasmine Dragon (Avatar), Zuko is trying his best, aang and zuko are best friends too whether zuko likes it or not, aang is a cutie, bubble tea, katara and zuko are best frenemies and you cannot take this away from me, katara says love at first sight isn't real... but this aang guy... wow, this fic was me desperately wanting a kataang meet-cute with platonic zutara so here it is!!, this is a minor thing but everyone in this fic drinks respect mai juice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:47:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26933116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faerialchemist/pseuds/faerialchemist
Summary: “Katara, you’re the only one I can trust to help me -”“Tui and La, fine,” Katara groaned. “I’ll be there in twenty.”All Katara wanted to do on her Saturday was sleep in. But when Zuko needs help at the Jasmine Dragon, she can't exactly leave him hanging. And who knows? Maybe something - or someone - good will come out of it.(A self-indulgent Kataang meet-cute with a healthy serving of platonic Zutara. Modern!AU.)
Relationships: Aang & Katara (Avatar), Aang & Zuko (Avatar), Aang/Katara (Avatar), Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (Avatar) - mentioned
Comments: 41
Kudos: 204





	see you again

**Author's Note:**

> this fic is entirely self-indulgent kataang and platonic zutara fluff/humor. it’s just a silly lil modern!au, meet-cute kinda thing that i couldn’t get out of my head, so voilà! here it is. i don’t know if i’ll ever continue it, but at the same time i admit that i’m leaving it open-ended, so a part two shouldn’t be discounted. i hope you enjoy reading it as much as i did writing it!
> 
> quick note: i chose the yen as currency because it’s the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market behind the us dollar and the euro; obviously atla is a pan-asian fantasy and the fire nation (i believe) was inspired the most by japan compared to the other three nations, but since i couldn’t find any modern equivalents to atla currencies, i ultimately went with the yen because of its wide circulation. so that’s your daily behind-the-scenes trivia, lol!
> 
> disclaimer: i do not work at a boba shop (although my friend does, so i used her as reference for a few things). i encourage you to suspend disbelief in that respect and beseech you to not judge me too harshly for any inaccuracies, lmao.

~*~

Katara awoke to her phone blasting Rick Astley in her left ear, which she should have recognized as an omen about how her day was going to be. She couldn’t help but groan as she rolled onto her stomach, stretching out her right arm and fumbling as she tried to mute the stupid song.

Wait.

Her alarm was supposed to be “Baby Shark,” since her idiotic brother had changed it as a joke over a month ago and she hadn’t bothered to fix it because the song woke her up every morning in a fit of rage. In other words, it was the perfect alarm.

So why the hell was “Never Gonna Give You Up” playing instead?

Katara forced herself into a sitting position, shrugging off her covers as much as she dared while trying to avoid losing the glorious warmth of being nestled in bed. She cracked her back, gradually opening her eyes to see -

_Nothing_.

Well, not nothing, but there was nowhere near enough light peeking through her bedroom window for it to be 9 am.

She grabbed her phone to check the time, the loud music having finally shut off, and proceeded to nearly drop the device in shock as she read the three numbers on the screen. _6:10_?! Plus three missed calls from Zuko, that bastard. She both admired and was… _infuriated_ by his persistence in trying to contact her. And, to be fair, she probably should have recognized his ringtone the second she’d woken up to it. Katara had chosen that song for a reason, after all.

As she was debating whether to call Zuko back or roll over and return to the blissful realm of sleep, her phone began blasting “Never Gonna Give You Up” yet again. She found herself glaring at his profile picture on her phone. A baby turtleduck.

If this wasn’t important, she was _so_ going to wring his neck, no matter how cute his profile picture was. No hesitation, no regrets.

“What?” Katara snapped as she answered the call, shoving her hair out of her face. It promptly fell back down, which did not improve her mood.

“I need your help!”

Katara raised an eyebrow, the note of panic in her friend’s voice making her considerably more alert. And perhaps a tad sympathetic. “Excuse me?”

“I said, I need your hel-”

“Zuko, if you’re going to wake me up at this ungodly hour, I do expect some basic pleasantries.”

Zuko groaned, and Katara allowed herself a satisfied smirk. “Fine. Good morning, Katara. I’m sorry for waking you up so early. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

“Thank you. And we’ll see.” Katara yawned into her elbow. “Alright. What do you need my help with _so_ desperately that you’re willing to risk my wrath by waking me up before the sun has risen?” She was notoriously _not_ a morning person. Sokka told her that he’d woken her up early once - _once_ \- when they were kids, and she’d responded by giving him a death glare before rolling over and falling back asleep. He’d never made that mistake again.

Katara herself could not remember this incident, but she didn’t doubt her brother.

“Someone called in a massive pick-up order to the Jasmine Dragon and there’s no way I can make it all myself in time,” Zuko blurted out, evidently having held his outburst back since she’d picked up the phone. “Uncle was supposed to be in today but he has a cold and Mai is working this afternoon and a double shift tomorrow which means I can’t ask her -”

“Yes, you can. Mai will forgive you. Goodbye.”

“- no, Katara, I can _not_ , unless I want Mai to kill me. Or worse, break up with me. That means you are the only person that I can trust to help me fill this order.” There was a pause. “Also, you live closer to the shop than anyone else.”

Katara sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Her heart wanted to help Zuko, really, it did, but every _other_ organ in her body insisted she hang up and go back to sleep.

Then an idea occurred - and it was the perfect compromise. “Look,” she finally said. “Why don’t you call Sokka instead? He doesn’t live much farther away than me, and I know for a fact that he has no plans today because Suki is teaching back-to-back classes at the gym.” This way, Zuko would get the help he needed, while _she_ could snag another two and a half hours of sleep before she was forced to face the world.

A beat passed.

“Katara, you’re the only one I can trust to help me -”

“Tui and La, _fine_ ,” Katara groaned. “I’ll be there in twenty.”

“Make it fifteen and I’ll have a Sucker Punch with passion fruit and strawberry ready for you when you get here.”

Katara paused. “From _your_ free drinks?”

She could practically hear him debating her proposition. “Ugh. Yes.”

“You’ve got a deal.”

“Thank y-”

Katara hung up before he could finish. Namely because she had no time to waste, but also because she was still a _little_ bit ticked about being woken up so early and now being forced to work on her day off. What could she say other than… well, she did _not_ rise with the sun.

Somehow, Katara managed to wash her face, brush her teeth, tame her hair into a ponytail, change into her uniform, _and_ pile into her car within ten minutes of ending the call with Zuko. She’d made the rushed experience slightly more bearable by daydreaming - although she’d rather have been _dreaming_ dreaming - about the caffeine soon to be rushing through her veins.

It hadn’t helped much. Her eye still twitched when she thought about Zuko.

“There’d better be some tea waiting for me,” Katara called as she walked into the shop, amused by her accidental rhyme. She raised an eyebrow at Zuko as she passed by the counter, heading to the back to grab her apron off its hook.

“You only gave me thirteen minutes!” she heard Zuko frantically protest, the sound of a liquid sloshing aggressively in a cup falling on her ears not long after.

Katara snorted, tying her apron around her waist. “You’d better not be complaining about me arriving _early_ after I’ve sacrificed a good morning’s rest just to come here and help you.”

Zuko guiltily handed her the promised tea when she joined him behind the counter, a pink straw already stuck through the top. “Sorry?”

“Uh huh. I hope you know this drink is the only thing stopping me from completely hating your guts,” was Katara’s flat response before she accepted the cup, taking a long sip. Ah, sweet caffeine. The only thing that got her moving in the mornings. Literally.

Zuko wrinkled his nose at her comment. “Yeah, I think I prefer when Mai says she doesn’t hate me.”

“I know, I know, you two aren’t capable of flirting like normal people.” Katara took another long sip of her tea before placing the cup down on the counter. “Okay. Hit me with this monster order you got.”

When Zuko pulled up the list of drinks on the shop’s tablet, Katara had to consciously stop her jaw from falling to the floor.

“This is a joke, right?”

“I wish,” Zuko grumbled, scrolling down for what looked like miles. “I don’t know how I’m going to stop myself from punching whoever comes to pick this up. 45 drinks for 8 o’clock? Put in at 6? Who _does_ that?”

Katara sympathized with the sentiment. And she now understood why Zuko had so desperately called her in. An order of 45 drinks was difficult enough for two people to make in less than two hours, and nothing short of impossible for one. She may have also slightly - _slightly_ \- regretted being so snippy with him when she’d answered the phone. “Seriously. What kind of person puts in an order that size as soon as the store opens?”

Zuko sent her an unamused look, tapping the top of the screen. “Someone named ‘Jet.’”

Katara was thankful she hadn’t been drinking her tea at that moment, because it would have gone straight up her nose. “You’re kidding me.”

“I never kid.”

“Right, I forgot you were born without a funny bone.” Katara shook her head. “I mean… I guess ‘Jet’ is better than Chan?” Barely.

Zuko sighed. “We’ll find out what kind of person they are when they get here. For now” - he glanced at the clock on the wall - “we need to start making drinks.”

Katara took a final swig of her tea before pushing the cup to the back of the counter. “You take odds, I take evens?”

Zuko blinked. “What?”

“On the list, hot stuff.”

“Oh. Right. Yes.”

Spirits help that boy. How did Mai put up with him?

But no matter how much Katara griped about Zuko, she’d never deny that - having been best frenemies for several months now - they knew how to function perfectly in sync. The duo worked efficiently, navigating around each other with practiced ease as the pop radio station played quietly through the shop’s speakers in the background. Given that it was so early, there weren’t many customers trickling in and out; Katara only had to stop to work the register twice. Otherwise, they spent the entire time filling ‘Jet’s’ order. At one point, Zuko spilled a nearly-finished drink all over the counter, which resulted in him muttering a string of curses that would have made a sailor blush before he wiped it up and started over.

Katara found the whole thing hilarious, personally, but she of course helped him clean the mess.

They finished the last of their respective lists three minutes before 8 o’clock - a pretty damn impressive feat, in Katara’s opinion. She may have been sporting a new bruise on her left elbow from where she’d turned too quickly and bashed it into the counter, sure, but she considered it a testament to her efforts. While Zuko bore no new injuries, there _were_ several stains on the front of his apron that hadn’t been there an hour and a half earlier. Equivalent exchange, really.

What a pair they made.

“500 yen says he has terrible eyebrows,” Katara mused, finishing off the last of her tea.

Zuko gave her a skeptical look. “Really? How did you come to _that_ conclusion?”

Katara shrugged, chucking her empty cup into the garbage can behind her with the grace of someone who’d been forced to play an infinite amount of trashketball with her older brother. “Take it or leave it.”

Zuko huffed. “Fine. You’re on.”

Five minutes past eight, a boy that couldn’t have been much older than herself entered the shop, with spiky dark hair and eyebrows so arched a mountaintop would have been jealous. Katara knew without a doubt that he _had_ to be Jet, what with eyebrows like that and not to mention walking in five minutes late. Couldn’t have been anyone else.

Ha. Zuko owed her 500 yen.

“Pickup for Jet?” the guy asked, resting his elbows on top of the counter and smirking at them. Wow. He was even chewing a toothpick.

Katara gestured to the half-million drink trays they prepared. “They’re all yours.” She hesitated, then slowly added, “Would you like help carrying them to your car?”

Jet waved his hand dismissively. “Nah. I’ll just bring them out in multiple trips.” He gave them both a sly grin. “But before I do - any chance I could get either of your digits?”

Katara had to bite back a snort. ‘Digits.’ What a guy. She then glanced at Zuko, who had frozen in place, a fiery blush creeping up onto his cheeks.

“I have a girlfriend!” he finally blurted out. “And - And she likes to throw knives.”

Katara barely managed to disguise her laughter as a cough. Whether Zuko had meant it or not, she absolutely _loved_ the implication that Mai would use Jet as target practice. Mostly because Mai totally would.

Jet turned to look at Katara, an eyebrow raised. “I don’t suppose I’ll strike gold with you?”

Well, he _was_ pretty attractive, even with those eyebrows, and he seemed funny and cool. So, in all honesty, not someone she’d normally be opposed to going out with. But he’d _also_ ordered 45 drinks to be made in two hours. And more importantly… “Well, I don’t have a cool, knife-throwing girlfriend like my coworker does,” Katara began, “but I _do_ have a can of pepper spray on my keychain, which is just a more entertaining way for me to say that I’m not currently looking for a relationship. So while I’m flattered, it’s a no from me.”

Jet clicked his tongue in disappointment, but he gave them both a good-natured smile. “Too bad. I appreciate your consideration.” He winked at her. “Thanks for giving me a straight answer instead of just pepper-spraying me.”

Why had he preceded that with a wink? Katara wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

They ended up helping him carry his drinks out to his car anyways, since there were no customers arriving and it wasn’t like she and Zuko had anything better to do. Apparently he was throwing a massive surprise party for his friend Smellerbee - who loved the Jasmine Dragon more than anything - to celebrate her coming out as trans, and he’d customized each drink order for everyone invited. Which was actually very sweet of him, and Katara respected that.

Still. Catering. Pre-ordering. Those were options.

Katara found herself yawning as she and Zuko returned to the shop after Jet had driven away. Apparently the caffeine from her tea was only a temporary wakeup measure.

“You can go home now, if you want,” Zuko offered as he began wiping down the counters. “I can manage things by myself until Mai shows up at 2. All I needed help with was that order.”

Katara yawned again before pointing at him. “Firstly, I’m not going _anywhere_ until you give me 500 yen. I was totally right about his eyebrows.”

Zuko rolled his eyes but obliged, grumbling under his breath about Jet’s eyebrows not being _that_ weird. Ha. He could complain all he wanted - she was still right, and she was still getting what she was owed.

Katara promptly tucked the money into her back pocket. “Secondly, I’m here, I’m on the clock, I might as well stick around and get paid for all of it.” Her words probably would have been more convincing if she hadn’t yawned for the umpteenth time afterwards.

Zuko glanced at the clock on the wall. “Look, most of the Saturday regulars don’t start coming in until 9ish. Why don’t you sleep until then?” He gestured to the lone table in the back corner of the shop. “It’s not the most comfortable of places, but on the off chance someone _does_ come in before 9, they shouldn’t bother you there. You can list yourself as on the clock, too, if you want.”

Katara couldn’t help but give him a small, grateful smile. “Aw. You do care.”

Zuko chuckled. “Consider it the second part of my penance for making you come in so early.”

Embarrassing as it was to say, Katara did not hesitate to take Zuko up on his offer, telling him to wake her up at exactly 9 before she rested her head on the table and almost immediately drifted off to sleep.

It felt like a million years later when she blearily awoke to someone tapping her shoulder, a warm voice filtering into her sleep-induced haze that asked, “Um… Are you okay?”

Katara did not process those words for a good ten seconds at the very least, and then her mind was slammed with _holy crap Zuko was supposed to wake me up!_ She sat up ramrod straight faster than the speed of light, instinctively grabbing the wrist of whoever had tapped her shoulder. “What time is it?!” she frantically exclaimed, her other hand braced on the lip of the table.

“Uh… 8:50?”

Katara breathed a heavy sigh of relief. She hadn’t overslept. Everything was fine.

Then she realized she was still tightly gripping the wrist of a total stranger, and she hastily let go. “Sorry!” she said, probably louder than necessary. “I - er, you startled me a bit.”

She looked up to see a tall, clean-shaven boy - not even a hair on his head - giving her a sheepish smile. “Yeah, that’s my bad,” he apologized. If she had to guess, he seemed to be only a year or so younger than herself. “I saw you lying down face-first on the table with no one else in the shop and kind of assumed the worst.”

Tui and La, _face-first_? What an utterly embarrassing first impression. “I was… _really_ tired,” she admitted, aware she had to be blushing. “I don’t usually work morning shifts, so my coworker gave me permission to cram in a nap before the regulars start coming in.”

The boy tilted his head. Katara noticed he had sky-blue arrows detailing his entire body, from wrapping around his forearms to down his forehead. It was… weirdly attractive.

She didn’t know how to feel about that.

“I take it you work here?” he asked.

Katara nodded, tapping her name tag pinned to her apron. “Yep. For the past” - she paused, having to count back in her head - “eight months, I think?”

“Oh, cool! It’s nice to meet you…” The boy glanced at her name tag. “Katara?” He smiled when she nodded. “I’m sorry I interrupted your nap, but I’m glad you aren’t… well, dead.”

Katara couldn’t help but laugh. This guy was cute. She couldn’t quite put her finger on why, but he was already able to get a smile from her within his first few sentences, which was a positive in her book. “I’m glad I’m not dead, too. And it’s also nice to meet you…?”

“Aang,” he finished for her. Huh. Did his name sound familiar, or was she imagining things? “Also… Okay, this is going to sound kind of weird, but do you go to Avatar University, by any chance?”

Katara noticed he’d moved to sit down in the chair across from her. She raised an eyebrow at his question, unsure whether she needed to be suspicious or not. “Uh… yes, actually.”

Aang beamed at her. The expression sent butterflies soaring through her stomach. Weirdly, she didn’t mind. “I thought I recognized you!” He flushed. “I mean, after you lifted your head and stuff. Not when you were sleeping. That’d be creepy.” He cleared his throat. “Anyways. I was in your gen ed art history class this past semester! It was a huge class, though, so I can’t blame you if you don’t remember me.”

Katara - regretfully - did not remember him. At least, she didn’t recognize his face from the class, which seemed practically impossible given how much he’d stand out in a crowd. Maybe that was why his name sounded familiar, though? “I don’t _think_ I remember you, but it’s nice to properly meet you now,” she said, giving him a friendly smile. “That was a pretty interesting class, wasn’t it?”

Aang nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! I loved analyzing artwork through different philosophical lenses.”

Katara laughed. “Agreed. Not that I was very good at it.”

Aang gave her a dubious look. “Okay, not true. Every time you spoke up in class you introduced an entirely new perspective on whatever piece we were discussing. It was amazing. Your answers inspired every analysis I wrote in there.”

Katara could feel her face reddening at the compliment. “Aw. That’s very sweet of you.” She smiled at him again. “Maybe we’ll have another class together this upcoming semester? I’m double majoring in physiology and environmental engineering.”

Aang whistled. “Pre-med, huh? Let me worship the ground you walk on.”

Katara laughed. She could hardly believe how easy it was to talk to this guy. Zuko could take a few notes. “No need. I’m only a sophomore - who knows how long I’ll stick with it?”

Aang grinned at her. “I get the feeling you will. You seem like the kind of person to push through even when things get tough.”

Why was she blushing? _Again_?! This time he wasn’t even complimenting her - it was more of a… a kind observation. A very flattering one, but certainly not _flirtatious_. Because he was not flirting with her. He was just being friendly! “You’re too nice, you know,” she said, resting her chin on her hand. “But only time will tell if I succeed.” She paused, then asked, “So… what about you? What are you studying?” That was a normal follow-up, right? He wouldn’t think she was weird?

Aang’s eyes lit up at the question - which was more adorable than it had any right to be - indicating to Katara that whatever his major was, he seemed pretty set on it. And also that he probably didn’t mind her asking about his degree. “Wildlife sciences and a minor in philosophy,” he said, grinning. “Thinking about bumping it up to a dual degree, though. Either way, studying and helping animals has been my dream ever since I was a kid.”

Katara laughed. “Let me guess - pre-vet? Exotics?”

He blushed. “Ah… maybe. I hope so.” He shrugged. “I’m just a freshman, so I haven’t really figured out what I want to do yet.” He hesitated before he continued. “Um, if you don’t mind my asking, why do you work at the Jasmine Dragon? Most Avatar University students work on-campus jobs, don’t they?”

“Close to my apartment, good pay, flexible hours to work around school, and I know the owner,” Katara replied, ticking off the reasons on her fingers. “Pretty much the perfect place for a struggling college student. Plus, I’m putting my President’s Student Aid scholarship towards a research position instead of some boring office job.”

Aang laughed. “Okay, valid. I’m working said ‘boring office job’ on campus while I apply to different research programs, so it sounds like you’ve got me beat.”

Katara winked at him. “I’m sure I could get you hired, if you’re interested.” He seemed like the kind of person who could handle Zuko. Possibly better than she did.

He grinned at her. “As tempted as I am to say yes, it’s a little out of my way to work here.”

Katara tilted her head. “Really? Do you not come for boba very often, then?”

Aang shrugged, making a so-so gesture with his hand. “Sort of. I try to drop by every Saturday, although sometimes I end up having to come on Wednesday mornings instead.”

Ah. That explained why they’d never crossed paths before. She’d rather die than work a morning shift.

Aang laughed, probably at the way her nose had wrinkled in disgust. Previous partners had told her that particular expression of hers was cute - she kind of hoped Aang thought so, too. “I’m gonna take a stab in the dark and guess mornings aren’t really your thing.”

Katara snorted. “That’s an understatement. I’m a _total_ night owl. I rise with the moon and all that jazz.”

“Perfectly understandably.” Aang rested his chin on the back of his hand, arm propped up on the table. He raised an eyebrow. “Of course, that begets the question of why you’re in early today, and what hours you work normally.”

Hmm. She wondered if he was asking so he could drop by on one of her shifts - or was that too presumptive of her? “I work Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons,” Katara replied. “And I’m here right now because my coworker felt like I was the _only person_ who he could call in to help him fill a massive order, since his uncle - the owner - is sick and his girlfriend is working this afternoon and a double shift tomorrow. I took pity on him, basically.”

Aang started laughing again, and for some reason the sound made a smile tug at the corners of Katara’s mouth. His delight was contagious. “Oh, spirits, that is _so_ Zuko.” He shook his head. “I tell him all the time that if he really needs it, I don’t mind coming in to help. I picked up his shifts enough times in high school to where I can hold my own on a busy day.” He gave her a sympathetic smile. “Basically, I’m sorry he pestered you instead of me.”

Katara tilted her head, blinking in surprise. “Wait. You know Zuko?” Most people who came into the Jasmine Dragon tended to stay away from Zuko, because he’d apparently been kind of a jerk when he’d first started working there - which did not surprise Katara - and now was just one of the most socially inept people in the world. Bless him.

Aang nodded. “Yep! We first met in primary school. I tried to be his friend, but - well, he wasn’t emotionally ready for friendship yet because…” A frown slipped onto his face. “He was in a rough spot with his family at the time.”

A brief pause passed before Katara responded. “Yeah. He’s mentioned Ozai before.” For as much as Zuko could irk her, she tried to be patient with him even when he got snappy. His father had been… well, nothing short of the worst. Burning his own son… She couldn’t promise Ozai would get away alive if she ever saw him in person.

“We met again in high school,” Aang continued, “and I could tell _something_ had changed, but I was a little wary of him since I remembered how… er, how aggressive he’d been when we’d first met.” Then he smiled again. “It turned out Iroh had gotten full custody of him and was doing his best to get Zuko away from his father’s influence. And while I didn’t actually know _that_ at the time, Zuko became one of my best friends the second he rescued my dog, Appa.”

Katara’s eyes widened. “Oh, wow!” Zuko had never told her this story. Not that he was emotionally open with many people. Mostly Mai and Iroh. Herself, too, on a good day. “How did that happen?”

“Appa was stolen in the middle of the day right from my backyard,” Aang said glumly. “They probably thought he was a purebred Bernese, even though he’s a mixed-breed and I love him for that. Whoever stole him was trying to sell him to a dogfighting ring, but Zuko happened to be in the right place at the right time. He recognized Appa and freed him, and then returned him to me the next day.” Aang laughed. “After that, you could say he stole my heart. I was determined to be his friend whether he liked it or not.”

Well, Aang’s cheerful outlook was no doubt a healthy influence on Zuko’s dramatic, angsty one. And she was sure Iroh approved. “Sounds like you two are star-crossed lovers.”

Aang snickered. “I mean, after he saved Appa, we had a running gag for at least a month where whenever we saw each other, I’d sprint towards him and shout, ‘My hero!’ before jumping into his arms. He always had to drop whatever he was holding. It was great.”

Oh, man, what Katara wouldn’t give to see Zuko spill everything to catch a beaming Aang. Maybe Mai had it on video - that sort of event felt like something she would record if given the opportunity.

“How do you know Zuko?” Aang then asked. “Just from working with him?”

Katara snorted. “Oh, no. My brother and I met Zuko in secondary school. Back when his sister pretty much controlled him. They tormented us, like rich preteens tend to do.” She and Sokka had been in a rough patch financially at the time because of their mother’s death, so making fun of their clothes and other assorted hand-me-downs had been the primary targets. “You know. Called us ‘peasants.’ That kind of shitty behavior.”

Aang winced. “Yikes. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

She shrugged. “They were spoiled brats. It wasn’t unexpected.” She absentmindedly stroked her mother’s necklace, the blue jewelry ever with her. “Obviously, we didn’t keep in contact with them. But then Sokka - my brother - had a class with Zuko last year, and he told me that it seemed like Zuko had changed a lot since secondary school. I didn’t believe him at first, but eventually I agreed to meet up with Zuko and Mai, as long as Sokka was there with me. I’ll be honest, though - I didn’t fully trust Zuko until he defended me in front of Azula.”

A giant smile formed on Aang’s face. “Aw, that’s amazing! Back in high school, I was worried he’d never be able to stand up to Azula. She had more power over him for a longer time than he likes to admit.”

Katara nodded. “Yep.” Then she shrugged. “But after that, I warmed up to him, and now he’s one of my best friends - while simultaneously also one of my worst enemies.”

Aang burst out laughing. “Funny how things change, isn’t it?”

Katara gave him a wry smile. “I’d say you have no idea, but I think you do.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “Anyways. Backtracking to the original point of this conversation. You asked why I’m here so early.” She took a deep breath before jumping into her explanation. “Basically, some guy named Jet put in an order for 45 drinks this morning, which is impossible for one person to make in two hours, so Zuko called _me_ in to help him, and luckily for the both of us there weren’t a lot of custo…mers…” Katara trailed off, her eyes widening. _Shit_. “Tui and La, _you’re_ a customer!”

She jumped to her feet, hastily smoothing down the front of her apron. “I am so sorry.” How had it taken her so long to put two and two together?! “Is there anything I can get you?” This cute guy had just come in to get some tea and go, and there she’d been, rattling off about her work hours and her sleep schedule and her history with Zuko… Stupid. _Stupid!_

“No, it’s okay!” Aang hastily reassured her, also jumping to his feet. “I mean, I do want to order something, but - but you didn’t do anything wrong.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “I… was really enjoying talking to you. I didn’t want our conversation to end just for me to order some boba.”

Katara could feel her face going scarlet at his words, and she spun on her heel before marching behind the counter, praying that her blush would disappear by the time she reached the register. “Well, trust me when I say I want our conversation to continue, too, but I’m going to at least make your drink while we do that. I owe you that much.”

Aang laughed - spirits, the sound made Katara’s heart flutter and her race redden. Embarrassing.

She wanted him to do it again.

As if he’d read her mind, he laughed a second time. “Okay. I can work with that.” He paused. “Um, can I have a Rosehip Milk Tea?”

Katara made a mental note of his order. Just in case they crossed paths on one of her future shifts. So she’d know what to make. No other reason.

“So, you said you work Wednesday afternoons, right?” Aang asked as she began preparing his tea.

Katara nodded. “Mhm.” She added milk and rosehip powder before looking over her shoulder to give him a knowing smirk. “Why? Planning to alter your weekly schedule so your visit overlaps with my shift?”

Aang gave her a guilty - _adorable_ \- smile. “Am I that obvious?”

She laughed. “Completely.” Katara added ice and black tea. Then, before she could lose her nerve, she grabbed a sharpie and scribbled her name and number on the side of his cup. So cliché, but she had a feeling he’d appreciate that sort of thing. She knew she did. Not that she’d ever admit it to anyone other than Suki.

“But.” Katara let the shaker-machine finish before she poured the tea into his cup and handed it and a straw to Aang, a tiny smile dancing on her lips. “I think it’s sweet. And I wouldn’t mind seeing you every week, either.”

Aang’s eyes lit up as he accepted the drink from her, whether from her words or because he noticed her phone number on his cup she couldn’t be sure. “Really? Awesome!” A blush darkened his cheeks as he fiddled with the plastic top of his drink. “Katara… Er, I know we just met officially, but I was wondering if - if one day you might want to -”

“Hey, Katara, can you - Aang?”

Tui and La, she was going to _kill_ Zuko. Aang was obviously about to ask her out! And now the moment had been ruined! Spirits, how did Zuko always have the absolute _worst_ timing?

Katara turned to glare at her coworker as he walked out of the back of the shop with enough daggers to send him six feet under. “Zuko, maybe you couldn’t tell, but we’re kind of in the middle of someth-”

She stopped short as Aang placed his drink down before _leaping_ over the counter with practiced ease - and she’d pretend she hadn’t noticed the way his muscles flexed in the arm that braced him as he did so, thank the spirits she wasn’t drooling - all while eagerly exclaiming, “Zuko!” He then pulled Zuko into a tight hug and planted an exaggerated kiss on his cheek, “mwah” sound effect and all.

All of Katara’s previous irritation at Zuko vanished as she watched his reaction to Aang - his expression shifted from confusion to exasperation to resignation and finally, to fondness. She almost wished she’d caught it on camera.

“Hello to you, too, Aang,” he grumbled, his face red as he returned Aang’s hug. “You really need to stop jumping over the counter like that.”

“If you stopped hiding behind counters, then I wouldn’t need to jump over them.”

“It’s not hiding if I’m on the clock!”

Katara bit back a laugh at their banter. “Zuko, you didn’t tell me you had a boyfriend. Does Mai know about him?”

Aang gave Zuko a look so heartbroken Katara almost believed he truly was a scorned lover. “Zuko? You don’t mean to tell me you’ve kept our relationship secret, do you?”

Katara gasped. “Oh, Zuko, how horrible of you!”

Zuko glared at her. “Don’t encourage him.”

“No, I think I will.” Katara took a special joy in irritating Zuko. All in good fun, of course.

Zuko sighed. “Yes, Mai knows about Aang. I think she likes him more than she likes me.”

Katara snickered. “Well, I can’t blame her for that. I’ve only just met Aang and I already like him more than you.”

“I can tell.” Zuko pointed to Aang’s cup, the side with her name and number - unmistakably in her own cramped handwriting, too - turned to face them. “You’re giving _him_ your contact info willingly. Uncle had to ask for your number and email when we hired you because you didn’t want it to go through me!”

Aang burst out laughing. “Zuko, you never told me that!”

“Because it’s humiliating!”

Katara shrugged innocently. “What can I say? I didn’t trust you yet.”

“Ugh. Whatever,” Zuko grumbled, his face cherry-red. Katara noticed he still had his arm around Aang’s shoulders, too, with Aang’s arm around his waist. If she was honest, she found herself rather jealous of Zuko’s position. “I hate both of you.”

Aang laughed. “I’m pretty sure the only person you _don’t_ hate is Mai.”

A goofy, lovestruck grin fell onto Zuko’s face - the kind that only showed up when he was talking about his girlfriend. “Yeah. She’s amazing.”

Katara seized the rare pause in the conversation to return her attention to Aang. “So,” she said, tucking her hair that had fallen loose from her ponytail behind her ear, “what were you asking me before Zuko so rudely interrupted us?”

Aang blushed, pulling his arm away from Zuko’s waist as his gaze dropped to the ground. Really, he was cuter than a guy had any right to be. “Yes. Erm, well, I was wondering if one day you’d want to - if you’d consider visiting the new Abanindranath Tagore exhibit with me?”

Huh. An art museum date.

She… liked that. A _lot_.

Spirits, Sokka would tease her relentlessly if he found out her first date with someone was at a museum. After he finished interrogating said date, of course, in his classic older brother fashion. But before she could answer -

“Oh, you’re finally asking her out?” Zuko said, surprised. “After you had a crush on her all first semester but never worked up the courage to talk to her, I didn’t think you’d be able to -”

“Zuko!” Aang hissed, his face flushed red to the tips of his ears. “TMI! Read the room!”

Zuko’s eyes widened. “Oh. My bad.” He took his arm off Aang’s shoulders, gesturing awkwardly to the back of the shop. “I’m just gonna… go.”

Aang facepalmed as Zuko made a hasty exit, and Katara bit her tongue to hold back her laughter. She was met with only moderate success. “This is so embarrassing. You probably think I’m a creep now. I just - I really admired how confident and engaged you were in class, and you’re so smart and really pretty, too…” He exhaled a resigned sigh, blushing a deep crimson. “Feel free to scratch your number off my cup. I’d understand.”

Katara gave him an amused, gentle smile. “If I scratched off my number, how would you text me the details about our date?”

Aang tore his gaze from the ground to meet hers. “You mean you _want_ to go out with me?”

Katara laughed. Wow. It was so easy to be relaxed around him. “You’re telling me that if a cute guy with awesome tattoos, a gorgeous smile, and a great personality asked you out, plus he already thinks you’re smart and beautiful, you _wouldn’t_ say yes?”

Aang laughed, too. “I guess I would. But only if he was actually as nice as you say.” He gave her a dopey grin - the kind that made warmth flood through her body. Spirits, she was such a softie. “Awesome.” He then glanced at his watch, eyes widening. “Oh, crap!” He blushed again, awkwardly gesturing to the door. “I want to stay longer” - _she_ wanted him to stay longer, too, damn - “but I have to meet with my friend Toph for a study session. I’ll… text you later?”

Katara handed him his drink a second time, tapping her number on the side as she did so. “I look forward to it.” She then stepped aside, pointing towards the small swinging gate that led into the main space of the shop. “Also, you don’t need to jump back over the counter to leave. Impressive as it was, as an employee I’m legally obligated to point out that it’s a little unsanitary.”

Aang’s eyes twinkled as he moved past her. “So you’re going to make Zuko wipe down the counters, right?”

“Aw, you already know me so well.” She waved as he headed to the door. “Bye, Aang! It was really nice talking with you!”

Aang waved, too, nudging the door open with his foot. “I loved talking with you, too! And I’ll see you soon - either here or at the art museum!”

Katara beamed at him. “I can’t wait!”

The bell jingled as the door shut behind him, and Katara couldn’t stop the small, breathy sigh that escaped her lips.

_Wow_.

“So…”

Katara’s shoulders stiffened at the sound.

“Not looking for a relationship, huh?”

She groaned, not needing to turn around to know that there was a massive, unbelievably smug smirk on Zuko’s face. “Shut up.”

Zuko snorted. “I wouldn’t talk to the person who knows everything about Aang’s crush on you like that.”

Katara spun around so quickly she probably should have been concerned about whiplash. “Details. Now.”

She was satisfied to see Zuko jump at her action. Good. Men should always be on alert around her.

Then a grin crept onto Zuko’s lips. “You really like him, don’t you?”

Katara crossed her arms over her chest, hoping her face wasn’t as red as it felt. “And what if I do?” Aang was funny, sweet, attractive - honestly, he’d made a perfect first impression. Hers had been… less so, what with him walking in on her asleep facedown at a table. Still. He liked her regardless, which was all that mattered.

“That just means I’ll tell you everything.” Zuko frowned at her. “Why do you always assume the worst about my intentions?”

“Because you make it too easy.” Then she let her arms fall. “But okay. I’m sorry.” A beat passed. “Well, what are you waiting for? Spill! What’s his favorite color? Favorite food? Does he have any allergies?”

Zuko sighed. “Yeah, you two are perfect for each other.”

If they’d been talking about anyone else, Katara might have been annoyed by his comment. But with Aang… “You really think so?”

Zuko chuckled. “Trust me. It was only a matter of time before you two found each other.”

Lucky for both of them… She _did_ trust him now. “That’s…” A wide smile crept onto her lips. “Awesome. Wow.” Katara sighed, and if it was a little more awestruck than necessary, she couldn’t bring herself to care. “I can’t wait to see him again.”

~*~

**Author's Note:**

> y’all… when i wrote the first draft and was talking about their shared class… i initially pictured it as a zoom meeting. covid-19 has forever impacted my college experience, lmfao. anyways - i hope you enjoyed this silly, fluffy oneshot! thank you for reading!


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